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Sale and Unitrust

Gene and Carol purchased stock in a small medical service company several years ago. The company has done well. A larger company is now discussing the possibility of buying the smaller company. This sale would require that Gene and Carol sell their stock, subjecting them to capital gains. Gene and Carol are looking for a way to save taxes.

Gene: We were fortunate to invest in the medical services company. The services this company provides have become more and more important, especially for senior Americans. We thought the value of this stock would grow, and it did. We originally paid $50,000 for the stock, and it had grown to $400,000 in value.

Carol: We talked about selling the stock, but that would have required us to pay a large tax bill. We had hoped to sell the stock to buy a vacation home. We had found a very nice summer cottage for sale on a nearby lake. The price was approximately $120,000.

Gene: We checked with our CPA; he suggested that we talk to a gift planner at our favorite charity. The gift planner told us about a sale and unitrust. We were happy to discover that with a sale and unitrust we could transfer $280,000 worth of the stock into a special trust called a charitable remainder unitrust. The unitrust could then sell the stock tax free.

Carol: Best of all, we were able to sell the rest of the stock for $120,000 cash. The deduction from the gift transferred to the trust saved enough in taxes to offset the capital gains tax on the $120,000 that we received from the stock sale. As a result, we could use the full $120,000 to purchase the lake home.

Gene: This was a wonderful arrangement. We now have income and are enjoying our dream house on the lake.

Is a sale and unitrust right for you?

If you own highly appreciated property, such as real estate or stocks, you could benefit from a sale and unitrust. The trust will help you bypass capital gains, will provide you with a charitable income tax deduction in the year of the gift and could increase your income. The sale part of this transaction could provide you with a one-time lump sum payment.